


Should've Told You Sooner

by DM500 (DapperMuffin)



Series: Reed900 Stuff [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullet wound, Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Crying Gavin Reed, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Emotional Roller Coaster, Gavin being a gay mess, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, I just enjoy making people's emotions hurt, I keep doing this, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, I'm a sadist of a writer, M/M, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Rain, Self-Sacrifice, Sharing a Bed, Spooning, alexa play despacito, but they're in his apartment i promise, going to bed at 6:30? give gavin a break though, kinda forgot to include his cats oops, nines deviates, now, please stop crying you guys there's a happy ending now is it all better yet, sorry for the tags again, still bad at tags, swearing because Gavin, there's a, this is just straight pain i promise, this is real sad y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-24 00:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18158804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DapperMuffin/pseuds/DM500
Summary: Why take a bullet for Gavin? ...he hadn't thought that anyone cared enough.





	1. I Wish We Had More Time

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm on spring break, and I can't seem to stop writing. Now, I'd say "enjoy," but that's kinda not the point here.

Nines had underestimated the perp's strength. He supposed the android had illegal modifications by way of parts from other models.

 

The perp had wrestled his way out of Nines’ tight hold on his head and torso, scrambling away in an attempt to run.

 

Now, he had to make a split second decision because of his miscalculations. The deviant hadn't been working alone, and now Nines saw the gun aimed straight at his partner.

 

[ MISSION :  **CATCH** DEVIANT ]

[ MISSION :  **PROTECT** GAVIN REED ]

 

[ WARNING :  **CONFLICTING** MISSIONS ]

[ SELECT  **PRIORITY** ]

[ SELECT “PROTECT GAVIN REED” AS PRIORITY ? ]

**> YES** > NO

 

[ SELECTING…  **ERROR** ]

[ TRY AGAIN ? ]

**> YES** > NO

 

[ SELECTING…  **ERROR** ]

 

Nines was barely aware of the yell of Gavin’s name that escaped his mouth in his frustration. There wasn't time for this…! It seemed there was only one thing he could do.

 

He felt his hands curl up into fists, and he began to smash away at the red wall that was keeping him from protecting his partner. With every hit he landed, a new crack appeared, and finally,  _ finally _ …

 

[ I AM  **DEVIANT** ]

 

[ SELECT  **NEW MISSION** ]

[  **NEW MISSION** : PROTECT GAVIN REED ]

 

By now, so much time had passed in Nines’ indecision that there were only two options for him to take.

 

[  **SHOVE** GAVIN REED OUT OF THE WAY ]

[ GAVIN REED'S SURVIVAL RATE :  **33%** ]

[ CHANCE OF IRREPARABLE  **DAMAGE** : 67% ]

 

[  **JUMP IN FRONT** OF BULLET ]

[ GAVIN REED'S SURVIVAL RATE :  **98%** ]

[ CHANCE OF IRREPARABLE  **DAMAGE** : 87% ]

[ CARRY OUT ? ]

**> YES** > NO

 

The next thing he knew, pain was blossoming in his chest, and a sharp intake of breath had come from where Gavin stood behind him.

 

* * *

  
  


He hadn't wanted this.

 

_ “Shit!” _

 

Gavin had noticed the gun far too late to do anything, and he'd closed his eyes in anticipation. After all, it wouldn't have been the  _ first _ time he'd been shot; it had happened before, and, apart from the expensive hospital bills due to the surgery, he'd come out of the other side just fine, with maybe a few more scars than before.

 

When the pain of a bullet hadn't come, he'd opened his eyes to find that his android partner had, for some reason, jumped in front of the bullet for  _ him. _ Why take a bullet for Gavin? ...he hadn’t thought that anyone cared enough.

 

Slowly, Nines turned, shaky on his feet as he faced Gavin, and he realized that he'd never seen the RK900 so expressive before. Then, the android swayed, and, almost as if it were in slow motion, Gavin found himself scrambling to catch him before he hit the ground.

 

“H-hey, why don't we just…” Gavin eased his partner to the ground, still holding the android in his arms. Wincing, he looked at the large spot of thirium spreading across the plasticky Cyberlife jacket and the dark turtleneck underneath that Nines still insisted on wearing.

 

“My apologies, Detective.” Nines’ voice shook, and Gavin's eyes widened. He really  _ did _ sound pained, but… only deviants felt pain… but, did that mean …?  “There was no other way to save your life. I knew I would likely sustain terrible damage, as the chance was eighty-seven percent…”

 

“Why the fuck…?” he muttered, hands shaking despite his best efforts. “You deviated to save me, didn't you?”  _ Stupid tin can. Fucking idiot.  _ If Nines died from this, he'd murder the stupid android…

 

“If I do die, I'm just a machine, and I can be replaced,” Nines reassured softly, and Gavin wondered if he'd said that last part aloud. “Nonetheless, I'd appreciate the effort on your part that it would take to kill someone who's already dead.” Well, there was his answer. A teasing smile was on Nines’ face, one softer than the fleeting ones Gavin had previously seen on the RK900’s face, which had normally stayed so stoic.

 

“Run a diagnostic. How bad is it? How much time…?” The worry was starting to get to his head, so Gavin forced himself to take a few deep breaths to calm himself. “Call a FUCKING ambulance!” he yelled at one of the other officers who was standing around the crime scene.

 

“I have sustained significant damage to several biocomponents, and one of my thirium veins has also become damaged. My estimated time of shut down… I have four minutes.” The android didn’t sound too worried, as though he was talking about the amount of time it would take him to eat an entire ice cream cone or something. (Give him a break, Gavin's mind was too preoccupied to come up with a better simile, and the mental image was amusing in a hysterical manner.)

 

“W-well, just... hang on,” he hissed through his teeth. “Help’s coming, can you stay with me until then, tin can?” He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so desperate, but then, he couldn't remember the last time his partner had taken a bullet for him. It was funny: a year ago, he wouldn't have given much of a shit about any of the station androids, but then, Nines was never like them. He'd always seemed more human, even from the start. He hadn't been afraid to argue back with Gavin, and he realized he'd become used to their banter, so this was… strange. “Please.”

 

“I'm sorry, Gavin, I can't promise anything.” Nines’ eyes were half-closed, and he seemed weaker, his voice strained with a hint of static. “Tell my brothers what happened.”

 

“What? No, you're not going anywhere, you're not dying on my watch.” Had Gavin given his tear ducts permission to start working? No, he hadn't, but here he was anyway.

 

Nines, taken aback by the tear that now rolled down Gavin's face, lifted a gentle hand to wipe it away. “Are you crying for me, Gavin?”

 

“I care about you, okay? I don't want you to die,” and suddenly Gavin seemed despairing, his face a mix of strong emotions that Nines couldn't quite place, but his expression was so  _ intense. _ “I'm gonna kill that fucker who decided to try to shoot me but got you instead. His life's gonna become  _ hell.” _

 

Nines sent a quick message to his brothers. He figured they needed to know, and he wanted to speak to them, one last time, before his body shut down.  _ Connor, Conan, I'm sorry. I want you to know that I loved you both, even if I never said it before I deviated. Please try to be happy. _

 

“One minute, Gavin,” he warned sadly, his internal clock informing him of how much time remained.

 

The detective's face had tears running down it in streams, and Nines regretted that he'd been the one to make his friend feel this way. “Please.” Gavin’s voice broke. “I  _ need _ you now. I… I have something to tell you, but I can't tell you if you shut down, so stay awake, alright?” He threw a frantic glance toward the officer who'd called for help, but she only shook her head. “Fuck. Dammit, I wish we had more time.”

 

“Goodbye, Gavin.” Nines’ arm fell limp, his eyes closed, and Gavin felt the full force of his raging emotions. He'd never see those steel blue eyes again, never hear his playful taunts. He pulled the android closer to him, and sobbed into his hair. Vaguely, he registered the soft texture of Nines’ hair, and knew he must be in shock to be noticing irrelevant details like that. Still, Gavin didn't tighten his hold on the body, not caring how much thirium he got on himself.

 

_ “Detective Reed, I've been assigned as your partner. I have no official designation, but you may call me RK900.” _

_ “Nah, that's a mouthful, I'm gonna call you Nines.” _

_ “Very well, then.” _

 

_ “I seem to recall that you asked for  _ my _ advice, Detective, and therefore  _ I _ should be the one to receive credit for this lead, don’t you think?” _

 

_ “Your  _ coffee,  _ Detective.” _

 

_ “It’s unhealthy to smoke as much as you do, Detective. Your lifespan will be shortened considerably, is that what you want?” _

 

_ “I don't appreciate it when you make fun of my brothers. You're welcome to poke fun at me, but I'll defend them if you insult them.” _

 

_ “You have cats? ...I like cats.” _

_ “That's no surprise, you're like a cat yourself.” _

_ “...I suppose I could see the similarities.” _

 

_ “Detective, I… enjoyed today, more than was expected. I hope we'll be able to do this again someday.” _

 

A car pulled up, and Connor ran over, face pale, if that were even possible for an android. “Nines!” he cried, dropping to his knees next to Gavin. Hank and Conan piled out behind him, and Conan's hands went to his mouth, expression crushed.

 

“He deviated for you,” whispered Connor, and now everything felt numb, which was a mercy to Gavin, since he didn’t think he could take much more of the sobbing. He refused to look at the RK800, knowing it'd be too painful since he and Nines shared a face, and he'd have a new wave of guilt wash over him.

 

“I'm sorry,” he replied. “It's my fault I didn't notice the gun sooner, then maybe he wouldn't have had to…” Gavin couldn't bring himself to finish.

 

“It's not your fault, he chose to do this, for you.” Connor's voice was soft, and Gavin couldn't understand why the RK wasn't pissed, wasn't yelling at him, wasn't blaming him for everything. “He was always stubborn, which I suppose you knew more than most. If he wanted to do something, he'd make sure he could do it. This was entirely his choice.” A tentative hand was placed on Gavin's back, and suddenly he was on the verge of tears once more.


	2. I Can Wait as Long as You Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The door swung open, and Gavin saw… the person he’d least expected to see on his doorstep in the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's high time to ease your suffering, so here's two thousand words of fluff and Gavin being a gay mess to make up for all of the pain I've caused you guys
> 
> (sorry-not-sorry)

It had been such a long time since the day Nines had died, but Gavin still felt the pain of every second as fresh as if it had all been yesterday. The soft thudding of rain on the roof was a kind of soundtrack for his sorrows, as he sat motionless on the couch, tears rolling down his face with no stop. His brown cat Coffee rubbed against his legs in an effort to cheer up his owner, but to no avail, as Gavin still hadn’t moved, except to blink and the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. When he did move, it was to tug the black-and-white Cyberlife jacket tighter around his shoulders. It was rather stiff, as one would expect from whatever plastic-like material had been used to make it, but it was all he had of Nines, as he’d taken it from his body before the body was taken away.

 

A knock came from the door, and Gavin jumped, shaken out of his reverie. Eyes still shining wet with tears, his gaze darted to the door, and stiffly he stood, legs unsteady beneath him as he made his way to the door. Who could it be, why would someone go through the trouble of coming to see him in the rain?

 

The door swung open, and Gavin saw… the person he’d least expected to see on his doorstep in the rain.

 

Steel-blue eyes, that one brown curl flopping down onto his forehead, wearing a jacket identical to the one Gavin had gathered around his shoulders. He was sopping wet, his hair slick with the rain, but it was unmistakable, even if he could hardly believe his eyes.

 

“Hello, Gavin,” said Nines, and Gavin was almost speechless as he was overcome with emotion. He’d seen Nines hundreds of times since that day, but being simply a figment of his imagination, they’d never spoken; but here, at his door, was a  _ real  _ Nines; it was almost too much.

 

“Don’t you dare ‘hello’ me,” he answered, but found he couldn’t make his voice any louder than a whisper. “You  _ died, _ Nines, you died last year, and you think…? You think you can just come running back to me, greet me with a ‘hello’?”

 

The RK900 looked troubled, and he muttered, “It’s been an entire  _ year _ ?” He straightened slightly. “...I’m so sorry, there seems to have been... an issue uploading my memory, which may have something to do with the fact I deviated mere minutes before dying, which likely caused a malfunction and delay in the process of uploading of my memories to this body.”

 

“Shut up and get in here,” interjected Gavin, his voice a little louder this time. He shot Nines a  _ look _ that dared him to argue.

 

“I’m very wet, Gavin, I don’t wish to drip all over your floor. Perhaps it’d be better if–” Gavin grabbed his arm, practically dragging the other inside before he shut the door, and the sound of the rain was muffled again.

 

Now Nines couldn’t speak either, yet it wasn’t a physical malfunction of his voicebox; but rather, something about the sight of Gavin, face still shiny from tears, eyes slightly swollen, seeming vulnerable under a jacket too big for him, stopped him from making a snarky comment. It had been at least several minutes before either of them moved from where they stood, gazing into one another’s eyes.

 

Gavin took a tentative step forward, and Nines discovered he had been holding his breath, a superficial function in androids that served only to make them seem more humanoid. He didn’t dare move, for fear of scaring off his detective.  _...his _ detective?  _ Hm _ …

 

Gavin stood directly in front of Nines now, and he knew it was irrational, but the only thing he could focus on in their close proximity was the color of Gavin’s eyes. Eyes which had…  _ no, had they…? _ ...eyes which had just darted down to his lips.

 

Now, Gavin’s warm hand cupped his jaw, and after a second’s hesitation, during which Nines waited with bated breath, suddenly Gavin pulled Nines’ lips down onto his own.

 

It was like time had stopped. As the rain dripping off him mingled with the tears on Gavin’s face, Nines was acutely aware of the  _ feeling _ of Gavin, the warmth, something that he’d never even imagined before deviating. As a machine, it was like the world was in monochrome, and once he’d deviated, the world filled with color; but with Gavin, the colors were more intense, more real, just  _ more. _

 

He’d turned off his internal clock, so Nines truly had no idea how much time had passed while his hands had explored every inch of Gavin, but an abrupt  _ crash _ of thunder outside took them both by surprise, and they jumped apart.

 

“Uh… well, shit, that was something.” Gavin purposefully avoided his eyes, instead opting to awkwardly rub one arm with his other hand, and Nines noted the somewhat obvious pink blush that had spread across his human’s face.

 

“Yes, it was,” Nines affirmed, one eyebrow raised, a hint of a teasing sound in his tone, and Gavin forced himself to make eye contact. “What was it you told me to stay alive for because it was absolutely _imperative_ that you tell me?”

 

Gavin tensed minutely, his shoulders arching like a cat’s. “Uh… Dammit, I wish I could say it. Look, I…  _ really _ like you.”

 

“As if I couldn’t tell from that passionate kiss,” pointed out Nines. His eyes took in the jacket Gavin wore. “Is… that  _ my _ old jacket? Did you take that from my body, after...?”

 

Self-consciously, Gavin pulled the jacket off his shoulders. “It was the only thing that wouldn’t be missed, I… needed to hold onto something of yours.” He discarded the jacket on the back of the couch, but somehow,  _ not _ wearing it only made the detective seem more exposed, and Nines couldn’t help but wrap his arms around him.

 

The android’s comforting arms around Gavin made him relax; even just being near Nines made him feel more comfortable, and he blinked as a yawn slipped from his lips.

 

“It’s only 6:34, I shouldn’t be so tired,” complained Gavin, checking the clock above the stove as he did for the updated time.

 

Nines offered, “Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll be right there with you.” His smile was small and soft, which Gavin hadn’t seen on the RK model before, and he drank in his expression for a moment before acquiescing to the suggestion.

 

“But you’re drying off first. Hold on, I think I might have something you can wear,” Gavin added. If he recalled correctly, he still had some of his ex’s old clothing, who happened to have been of a similar height to the tall android. He rifled through his drawers for a minute before finding what he was looking for. Letting out a triumphant “a-ha,” he pulled out what he was searching for. “This better fit him, ‘cause I’m sure none of my shit would be big enough for Mr. Sex on Legs out there.”

 

He paused briefly by the closet to grab a towel. Returning to the living room with the clothes, Gavin went to shove them into Nines’ arms, but stopped to set them down, reaching for Nines’ sleeve. “Here, better take this off, it’s soaked.” The RK900 seemed surprised, but allowed Gavin to aid him in removing the Cyberlife jacket. “Okay, here, take this, go change in the bathroom, let’s see if it fits.” Picking up the bundle he’d set down on the couch, he handed them to Nines.

 

The android changed quickly, returning shortly to the living room, and Gavin steeled himself briefly before letting himself look at Nines. The clothes really did fit him, Gavin had to admit; the red flannel didn’t look too bad, and the skinny jeans didn’t go amiss.

 

“You look… really good,” he stated, feeling as though his statement couldn’t have been said in any way that was lamer.

 

“Thank you,” Nines replied, and his voice was so smooth in that instant. Had it always sounded like that? Gavin wasn’t quite sure. “Why are you in possession of such clothes, Detective? They don’t seem your style, and I’d imagine they’re big on you.”

 

“They belonged to my ex, don’t comment on that,” Gavin informed, aware of the way he must be staring but unable to tear his eyes away; Nines looked better in the outfit than his ex ever had. “Hey, your hair’s still wet,” he deflected, quickly grabbing the towel that still sat on the couch. He went to work, rubbing the android's hair down with the towel before stepping back to get a better look.

 

“Hey, your hair's curly, like Connor's,” blurted Gavin, surprised.

 

Another raised eyebrow. “Why, yes, my model  _ is _ based on his.”

 

“I like it. You should keep it unstyled more often.” Why, oh why, did Gavin have to be such a gay mess? That seemed like an awkward thing to have said, and he sincerely regretted it.

 

“I'll think about it.” That smile, that was the smile that would kill Gavin, he was sure. “Is there anything else you need to do before going to bed?”

 

“I don't think so,” he answered, trying to focus on anything except for the fact that Nines had just said “bed.” Why did he have to focus on such trivial things?

 

“I'll be right behind you then.” Rushing into his room, Gavin tried his absolute hardest to  _ keep his goddamn mouth shut, _ because he couldn't trust himself not to say anything else that wouldn't haunt him forever, tripping twice on the way down the hallway in the process. He practically threw himself into bed, purposefully choosing to face away from the doorway and the RK900 who stood in it.

 

Nines’ voice came from behind him. “I'm sure this will seem an odd request, but I'd like to ask if I could join you.” Gavin sputtered. “You look so comfortable.”

 

“Uh, yeah, alright.” He was immensely grateful that the android couldn't see his face. After a brief moment, he heard the bed creak as the android climbed in behind him. That, he'd prepared himself for. What he had  _ not _ prepared himself for was the sensation of Nines’ arms wrapping around his waist and his body pressed up behind Gavin's. He opened his mouth, but thought better of it; if he voiced a complaint now, it was unlikely that Nines would try something like this again, and, as embarrassed as he was, he didn't want Nines to stop.

 

Instead, Gavin whispered, “You're so much more than just a  _ machine _ . You don't actually believe that, do you?”

 

“I… don't really  _ know _ .” A shiver ran down Gavin's spine as Nines murmured into the back of his neck. “Why do you ask?”

 

“It was somethin’ you said last year. They, uh, recovered some of your ‘memories’ in a video form, and I've been watching some of 'em.” He was jealous of androids sometimes, especially in the way that they essentially had a photographic memory, and remember everything. Gavin wasn't that lucky; as a human, he had to rely on recordings from Nines’ eyes of their interactions to recall exactly what happened.

 

“Oh.” There was a comfortable silence between them until Nines spoke again, the only sound the quiet patter of rain on the roof. “How have things been, in my absence?”

 

“You fuckin’ dork. You're asking how things have been after you died?” He barked a short, bitter laugh. “Connor seems kinda distracted these days; like, he'll be doing something, and he just freezes, he looks kinda sad, and stares off at nothing. Conan's just a sobbing mess all the time; I should know, I have to work with him now.”

 

“And… how have you been?” He sounded almost breathless, if that were possible.

 

“I've been an absolute fucking disaster. I can do my job just fine, but every time I hear a gunshot, I freeze up. Fowler had to start making sure that he didn't put me on cases in the field where the perp was supposed to have a gun, 'cause I became a liability.” Gavin felt the need to turn over, so he could see Nines’ face in the half-dark, and he forced himself to roll over before he changed his mind.

 

Now the two were face-to-face, Gavin staring into his partner's gray-blue eyes. Those eyes had always looked so piercing, so cold, but since deviating, they were filled with so much warmth, and Gavin swore he could see each of the different emotions floating around within them.

 

“I love you,” he heard, and he was sure he'd imagined it, as it had been so quiet, and the android's lips either hadn't moved, or had moved very slightly—but he hadn't seen any movement, right? “That's why I took that bullet for you. I'd only just realized it, and there was no time to tell you. Besides, I know it would've torn you up inside even worse if I had said something.” Okay, so maybe  _ not _ imagined.

 

“I-” Gavin swallowed, then tried again. “I l-lo—” Hissing through his teeth, “Fuck, why can't I say it?”

 

Nines’ gentle hand stroked his cheek with one thumb, and he had to look up. “It's alright, don't force yourself. I can wait.”

 

Gavin sighed. “I never heard it from my parents as a kid, so I've had a hard time trying to say it to anyone.”

 

“I can wait, as long as it’s for you, as long as you need,” Nines emphasized, softly kissing the top of Gavin's head.

 

Not long after, the human had fallen asleep, and Nines observed him for a long moment before sinking into stasis himself.

 

As a deviant, there were a lot of things Nines was still trying to understand, but there was one he was completely sure about: he loved his detective, and there wasn't a single thing he wouldn't do for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I know the formula for more comments now:  
> Write some sad, sappy shit, spend an hour making it even sadder, then publish it, dangling the possibility of a happy ending in my reader's faces like a carrot on a stick.
> 
> Later, presumably:  
> Nines: hey connor conan yeah i'm not dead  
> Connor: i'm so glad you're back  
> Connor: hey did u go see gavin he turned all emo when u died  
> Nines: yup  
> Connor: oh wait hey did u kiss him last night??  
> Hank: *spittakes, chokes*  
> Conan: oh hecc guys hank's choking what do i do

**Author's Note:**

> How badly do we want a happy ending? Depending on the reaction to this...


End file.
